3.The purpose of the Civil Partnership Act is to enable same-sex couples to obtain legal recognition of their relationship by forming a civil partnership. They may do so by registering as civil partners of each other provided:
they are of the same sex;
they are not already in a civil partnership or lawfully married;
they are not within the prohibited degrees of relationship;
they are both aged sixteen or over (and, if either of them is under 18 and the registration is to take place in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, the consent of the appropriate people or bodies has been obtained).
4.The Act also sets out the legal consequences of forming a civil partnership, including the rights and responsibilities of civil partners.